If you are a regular visitor to RI, you know that we don’t spend a lot of time commenting on trade rumors, but as the trade deadline is approaching we keep getting asked where Julio Lugo is going to end up. The two teams that were mentioned most often early on were the Mets and the Red Sox who have both reportedly expressed interest in Lugo for quite some time. However, neither of those teams seem likely to be a future home of Lugo. Jose Valentin is having a great season for the Mets, who now look like they are more interested in shoring up their pitching staff. The Red Sox have been greatly impressed with the defensive play of Alex Gonzalez and may value his glove over Lugo’s bat. The team most often mentioned now is the Toronto Blue Jays. Lugo appears to be a perfect fit for the Jays. They are in need of a good leadoff hitter and the team lacks a lot of team speed. In addition, the Jays have a very young an inconsistent Aaron Hill playing second base now. There is no word yet who would be included in the package from the Blue Jays.

Andrew Friedman was recently quoted as saying that no player was “untouchable”. That may be true, but we are having a hard time even imagining what it would take for another team to get Scott Kazmir. Is Victor Zambrano available? [tbo.com]